Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for a hearing on legislation banning “assault weapons” Thursday in the wake of a mass shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead.
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said her bill “deserves” a hearing. Feinstein authored the 1994 assault weapons ban that Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Talk of reauthorizing the law or increasing the age requirement for purchases of rifles like the AR-15 has increased since last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
“Through their pain, these students have been demanding lawmakers take action to make sure an AR-15 isn’t used to perpetrate another mass shooting,” Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement. “Our country is in the midst of a significant conversation on gun reform, and our bill to ban assault weapons, which is before the Judiciary Committee, deserves a hearing.”
“The tide is turning, and the public overwhelmingly favors stronger gun laws,” Feinstein continued. “We deserve a hearing.”
A recent Quinnipiac poll conducted after the shooting found 67 percent of Americans support a nationwide ban on assault weapons, and 97 percent of gun owners support universal background checks.
The first assault weapons ban included 19 models of assault weapons. It also banned the use of high-capacity magazines able to hold more than 10 rounds.
